Saving Sage For Winter...

Right next to the place where I have a clothesline (free solar power!), I have an herb bed and one of the plants in it are my sage plants.  A hardy perennial, I've had these dependable plants for over 15 years.  So, considering their age, I was surprised to see how lush they were for early October. Seeing this, I knew I needed to bring some in to dry.  To be honest, I'm not very good about saving sage for winter use.  I am spoiled by its lush leaves and cold temp. hardiness and forget to put some by. Plus, I often will have useable sage leaves almost into Thanksgiving as it can withstand even some snow.  So, it's a great long season herb an indispensable  for the home landscape. I actually plant it for its flowers as well as for its use as an herb.  (The sage flowers are also edible as well.  You can use them to garnish salads or any dish for that matter.  They only bloom in the late spring.)

Beautiful sage flowers in the spring...

We had some friends over one time in the spring and we were looking at the sage flowers.  One of our friends asked me what the plant was and I told him "sage" and he was shocked.  He then asked, "Why do you need so much sage?  How much do you need for stuffing?"  Now it was my turn to be shocked because I answered, "Just look at how beautiful the flowers are, I grow them for flowers too!"  (I have a whole group of sage plants in a small front flower bed also.)  Herb lovers understand our unquenchable love and appreciation for the many "talents" of the herbal plant kingdom.  They are amazing, hardy, beautiful AND you can eat them...okay, I'm off my soap box. :)

 Back to harvesting...herbs are best harvested right before flowering.  During and after flowering, the plants put all their energy into flower and seed production, so the leaves aren't really the best flavored.  I trim off all the seed heads after blooming so the plants can regenerate and put on another fresh flush of leaves.  And this year was exceptional.  Our May and June were very dry, but mid-July brought back bi-weekly to weekly rains that have extended all through late summer and early fall.  This means my sage is beautiful and ready for harvest.  I would rather harvest late in the season because I won't break into the dry leaves until late November/December.  This way, the dried leaves don't sit on the shelf for as long. 

 Harvesting?  Remember, the upper leaves are the best.  They are tender, insect-free, and the best tasting.  And me having so many plants means I have a lot of sage tops to pick from.  This also keeps the plants bushy and hardy.  

 This was early on in the harvest, I actually filled my dehydrator to the max with these beautiful leaves.  No dehydrator?  No problem.  Bundle the sage with a rubber band and hang upside down in a dry warm place.  Bothered by dust?  Put them in a paper bag upside down, wrap the rubber band around the bottom of the stems and top of the paper bag and hang up to dry.  You may want to poke a few air holes to help with ventilation.  We live by a lake and it seems to be more humid in our house.  So, I invested in a really nice dehydrator.  Looking to save $$?  Check out your Goodwill stores or yard sales, one of my first dehydrators came from there...$3! If it's warm in your area when you are drying herbs, then put them on a ventilated tray/screen and place in your car in the back window.  Instant dry herbs.  My friend did this and it worked out beautifully.  

 Sage leaves have a velvety, almost papery texture, so they dry well and turn a beautiful shade of gray.  I like to store my sage leaves whole or as whole as possible.  I just take out a few as needed and powder them in my hands before using...also known as "rubbed sage."  

 They are great in soups, chicken and dumplings, any chicken marinade or meal and I use them in my Italian seasoning blend.  Overall, a great all purpose herb and one you'll find yourself running out of by winter's end.  Store in an airtight container that is not transparent or I put mine in glass jars but store them in a locker of their own that keeps them quite out of the light.  They have a long shelf life, one year is recommended, as long as they stay dry..  Try sage butter by sauteing (preferably fresh) leaves in some melted butter in a skillet, remove and pour butter over pasta and whatever else you would like to add.  Our favorite use is in our endless pots of chicken noodle soup.  Our guy's favorite soup, I make lots of pots and sage is central to the tasty broth.

Well, there ya go...Sage is saved and ready for winter!  However, I will be gathering LOTS of fresh leaves while this weather stays mild.  Maybe fresh sage for Thanksgiving this year...?!
Blessings!

What's your favorite way to use sage?

For more herb drying info, check out my post;  Ode to Drying Oregano.

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